Faculty Sources at St. Olaf College

The faculty and staff featured below, only a few of the expert sources at St. Olaf College, were chosen for the relevance of their expertise to today's news. For other expert sources at St. Olaf College, contact David Gonnerman at 507-786-3315, office; 507-301-8769, cell; or gonnermd@stolaf.edu.

  • Aging
  • American History/Culture, "Buy"-ology
  • Antarctica
  • Environmentalism
  • Global warming
  • Memory
  • American Indian Issues
  • Neuroscience
  • American culture
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    Carolyn Anderson American Indian issues
    CAROLYN ANDERSON, assistant professor of sociology/anthropology

    Office: 507-786-3133
    Home: 651-488-0724
    e-mail: anderscr@stolaf.edu
      Anderson's work in cultural anthropology addresses Native American issues such as treaty rights, casinos and the struggle for political and cultural autonomy. Her interests extend to the rights of indigenous peoples worldwide; her research focuses on the eastern Dakota people now living in Minnesota and Nebraska. Her course on ethnographic research methods has produced a wealth of information about college life today, from friendship formation and dating patterns to team building in groups as different as a baseball team and a choir.
       

    Religion, Ethics
    JOHN BARBOUR, professor of religion and the Martin E. Marty Chair in Religion and the Academy

    Office: 507-786-3083
    Home: 507-663-0995
    e-mail: barbourj@stolaf.edu
     

    A member of the St. Olaf religion faculty since 1982 and chair of the religion department from 1998 to 2001, Barbour's teaching and research is focused on the ethical and theological issues raised by works of fiction and autobiography. In his role as the Martin E. Marty Chair in Religion and the Academy, Barbour addresses religious and ethical issues in American life, and the Christian interpretation of these themes. Barbour was educated at Oberlin College and the University of Chicago Divinity School where he received his Ph. D. in the field of religion and literature. He has published extensively in the areas of religion, literature and ethics.

       
    Jim Farrell

    American History/Culture, "Buy"-ology, Environmentalism
    JIM FARRELL, professor of history, director of American studies

    Office: 507-786-3143
    Home: 952-934-4311
    e-mail: farrellj@stolaf.edu
      In his teaching and scholarship, Farrell focuses on what he calls "the moral ecology of everyday life," basically asking why Americans act the way they do. This has led him into research on death and dying (Inventing the American Way of Death, 1980), American nuclear culture (The Nuclear Devil's Dictionary, 1985), the spiritual side of the 1960s (The Spirit of the Sixties, 1997) and consumer culture (Malls of America: Shopping for American Culture, 2003).
       
    Daniel Hofrenning

    Presidential politics, the domestic implications of war
    DANIEL HOFRENNING, professor of political science

    Office: 507-786-3128
    Home: 507-645-4665
    e-mail: dhofrenn@stolaf.edu

     

    Hofrenning, who teaches classes in public policy and American politics, is a former president of the Minnesota Political Science Association. He is an excellent source of information about the domestic implications of war as well as the local and national political agenda. Hofrenning has provided political commentary for Minnesota Public Radio as well as Twin Cities stations KARE-11 and FOX News-9 TV, plus KAAL TV in Rochester, Minn. His opinion pieces have appeared in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the St. Paul Pioneer Press and at MSNBC.com. He is the author of In Washington But Not Of It: The Prophetic Politics of Religious Lobbyists, a book about the activities of a group that has a tremendous influence on the mainstream political agenda.

       
    Robert Jacobel

    "Green" science, environmental chemistry, sustainability
    PAUL T. JACKSON, associateprofessor of chemistry

    Office: 507-786-3404
    Home: 507-645-5591
    e-mail: jacobel@jackson@stolaf.edu
      Jackson teaches and conducts research in areas spanning analytical chemistry (especially environmentally friendly "green" chemistry), environmental science and sustainable practices. Jackson's application of "green" chemistry principles in the classroom is leading efforts to reduce the environmental impact of college campuses. His classrooms focus on chemical analysis, environmental science and the chemistry of building materials. Jackson conducts much of his research on the Cannon River, one of Minnesota's "Wild and Scenic Rivers."
       
    Robert Jacobel

    Global warming, research in Antarctica
    ROBERT JACOBEL, professor of physics, director of environmental studies

    Office: 507-786-3124
    Home: 507-645-6907
    e-mail: jacobel@stolaf.edu
      Jacobel heads an ice and climate research group that conducts ongoing research in Antarctica and other ice-covered regions of the earth. On multiple trips to Antarctica funded by the National Science Foundation, he has studied ice dynamics and climate history, contributing data for models that seek to predict the response of the earth's great ice masses to increased surface temperatures. As director of environmental studies, he also can link reporters to faculty with expertise on everything from animal behavior and conservation biology to nature writing.
       

    History of Christianity, the role of religion in higher education
    L. DeANE LAGERQUIST, professor of religion, department chair, executive director of the Lutheran Academy of Scholars

    Office: 507-786-3175
    Home: 507-663-6034
    e-mail lagerqui@stolaf.edu

    Lagerquist teaches courses exploring the history of Christianity from several angles, among them the perspectives and experiences of women. She is an excellent resource for matters relating to Lutheranism and is active in national discussion of faith and learning in higher education. Lagerquist received her Ph.D. from the University of Chicago Divinity School following earlier study at Luther Seminary and California Lutheran College. Her book, The Lutherans, a history of Lutheran people in the United States, was recently published by Greenwood Press.

       
      Scandinavian history and culture, immigration history
    TODD NICHOL, King Olav V Professor of Scandinavian-American Studies

    Office: 507-786-3168
    Home: 651-644-7501
    e-mail: nicholt@stolaf.edu
     

    Nichol, who also serves as editor for the Norwegian-American Historical Association based at St. Olaf and professor of church history at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minn., can speak to a variety of topics on historical and modern Scandinavia, including this year's worldwide celebration of Norway's centennial. Nichol is a graduate of St. Olaf College and Luther Theological Seminary. He earned his Ph.D. from Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, Calif.

       
    Anantanand Rambachan

    Hindu/Muslim tensions, Interreligious dialogue, Hinduism and Christianity
    ANANTANAND RAMBACHAN, professor of religion, philosophy and Asian studies

    Office: 507-786-3081
    Home: 612-432-7875
    e-mail: rambacha@stolaf.edu
    Rambachan, a native of Trinidad, has a deep interest in the dialogue between Hinduism and Christianity. In June 2002, he attended a conference at the Vatican on interreligous dialogue, and was a Hindu guest and participant in the World Council of Churches' last three general assemblies. He is an associate editor for the Encyclopedia of Hinduism, the first comprehensive, multivolume series treating the Hindu tradition, is a member of the Religious Consultation on Population and Ethics and has written Op-Ed articles about Hindu/Muslim tensions.
       
    Howard Thorsheim

    Healthy aging, retirees and senior citizens, story telling
    HOWARD THORSHEIM, professor of psychology

    Office: 507-786-3144
    Home: 507-645-9210
    e-mail: thorshm@stolaf.edu
      Thorsheim, a national authority on the psychological and social benefits of reminiscing for senior citizens and their families, has been featured in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, USA Today and numerous other national publications in articles about social and political issues concerning retirees, as well as the importance of summer family reunions, holiday gatherings and state fairs. Thorsheim's research, including his NIH-sponsored studies of 10,000 people, indicates that social networks are important for people as they age. He is co-author of the book I Remember When: Activity Ideas to Help People Reminisce, and his work on investigative psychophysiology neuroscience lab experiences in college and high school contributed to a segment on PBS's Dragonfly TV. And he has played the musical saw on Minnesota Public Radio's "A Prairie Home Companion."
       
    Mark Scheske TRiO programs at risk
    MARK SCHELSKE, professor of education, department chair

    Office: 507-786-3973
    Home: 952-894-7907
    e-mail: schelske@stolaf.edu

     

    		 Professor of Education Mark Schelske, chair of the St. Olaf Education Department and administrator of the three government-funded TRiO programs, can provide an overview of the programs' success, can discuss local and national program statistics, and can explain how the three programs work together at St. Olaf to assist first-generation and low-income students.